


Growing Up Doesn't Mean Everything Must Change

by Cookies_and_Chaos



Category: Famous Five - Enid Blyton
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-31
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:07:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 779
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28155075
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cookies_and_Chaos/pseuds/Cookies_and_Chaos
Summary: When everything starts to change, sometimes it's what doesn't change that stands out most of all. Written for the 12 Days of Christmas Challenge 2020, Day 5, "Five Flowing Waters".
Comments: 5
Kudos: 7
Collections: 12 Days of Christmas Challenge 2020





	Growing Up Doesn't Mean Everything Must Change

Anne finally spotted George at the crest of the hill and ran to catch up with them. George stopped, no doubt hearing her footsteps, but didn't turn around. Perhaps George already knew which one of them was most likely to follow.

"You don't need to check up on me," George said once Anne had caught up.

"Who says I want to check up on you?" Anne asked, linking her arm with George's. "Perhaps I just fancied an early evening run."

George snorted derisively. "Right. Did you come by yourself or did mother send you?"

"Would it make any difference?" Anne asked.

George shrugged and whistled out into the dusk. The piercing sound seemed to travel out ahead of them for miles. There was a beat of silence and then a bark echoed back.

"Timmy's gone down by the river," George said and they made their way in that direction.

Just as the burbling sounds of the river reached their ears, Timmy came trotting out of the trees and bushes, tongue hanging out and tail wagging with furious excitement. He was getting on a bit now but his temperament was much the same as it was when Anne had first met George and Timmy. Anne glanced at George and wondered if, in a world that insisted on changing beyond their control, whether George took comfort in the simple sameness of their four-legged companion.

"I shan't be heading back for while and it's sure to get cold. You're welcome to go back without me," George offered.

"Then who will protect me against the monsters that come out after dark?" Anne asked.

George grinned. "I should think you might have grown out of that."

"Well, there are monsters. We've met more than a few," Anne said, and George nodded silently as they both fell into a chilly sort of silence, memories of some of the people they had encountered over the years passing through both their thoughts.

George bent down and picked up a few small sticks and flung them towards the river. Timmy went to chase each one and then looked back sadly when he realised that they were going into the bitter cold water and being whisked away. Anne picked up a bigger stick, one worth of a dog's enthusiastic chasing, and threw it ahead of them for Timmy to go after. With a delighted bark, Timmy lolloped on ahead of them in pursuit of the stick.

"Mother always said that things would change. I don't think she expected that one thing that didn't, would be me." George almost never bared their soul so Anne left quiet for a continuation.

It didn't come straight away. Timmy came running back with the stick and Anne flung it out ahead of them again. George picked up some more sticks and pitched them one by one into the flow of the river. They were just at the bend in the river, which formed a natural turn for them to head back home, and Timmy was on his second stick, having managed to lose the first one, when George spoke again.

"Should I have changed by now, outgrown all of this? Is Julian right?"

Anne gave George's arm a gentle squeeze, reassured to get a moment of pressure returned in kind. "Julian rather likes to think he's right about everything, that doesn't mean he is. I don't think he's right about this."

"One thing he is right about is that, now we're grown up, people won't ever let me just be George, will they? Once people learn that I'm not...that..." George swallowed heavily and shrugged. "People won't accept me as I am."

"Not everyone, no." Anne glanced down as Timmy nudged at George's free hand, he always did seem to know when George needed comforting. Better than any human, even.

"Some will though and maybe, in time, more people will change the way they see the world and realise that they were wrong?" Anne suggested.

George laughed. "You always were optimistic about the goodness in people, Anne. I wish I shared your outlook."

"Yes, well..." Anne looked away from George for a moment. "It isn't without it's drawbacks. Will you head back with me now? We needn't talk to the others if you don't want to?"

"Come on then. Can't have you catching your death from the cold, I suppose," George teased, "what sort of cousin would I be then?"

"Well, I'd say you're my best cousin but you are my only one so—" Anne pulled away in time to avoid the half-hearted bat of George's hand and grinned back at her cousin.

"Thanks," George said, looking terribly serious for a moment.

"Anytime."


End file.
